Method and apparatus for manipulating fasteners and tabs therefor



April 24, 1928. 1,667,527

' V. H.BODLE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANIPULATING FASTENERS AND TABS THEREFOR jgd Oct. '1. 1925 SSheets-Sheet 1 J17 April 24, 1928.

V. H. BODLE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANIPULATING FASTENERS AND TABS THEREFOR 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Z UL/Efifb r zg lam/E J in alum i iffy;

Filed Oct.

April 24, 1928. 1,667,527

V. H. BODLE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANIPULATING FASTENERS-AND TABS THEREFOR Filed Oct. 7. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 24, 1928.

UNITEDISVT'ATES r *1,6 7,527 PATENT]QFFICE'- VIRGIL H. 30mm, or AKROIL'OVHIO, Assrenon To. THE B. r. GOODBICH COMPANY,

or NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

METHOD AND APPARATUS F R' MANIPULATINHG'YFASTENERS"AND"TABS THER F R.

Application filed October 7, 1926. Serial No. 14 O43.

cationof Frank J. MacDonald, vSer. No.- 733,931, originally iiled August 25, 1924, wherein a strip of tab-forming material is automatically cut into successive tab-form ing lengths and the tab-forming lengths are successively inserted in respective buckle members and folded. in interlinked engagement therewith to produce thereon an anchor tab having its two wing portions adhesively secured together.

My general object is to provide means in combination with amachine of this kind for overlapping the successive buckl efa'nd tab assemblies upon one another as they come from the machine and pressin'gthe overlapped portions of the tabs together to join the assemblies in. a unitary sheet or strip for producing this result. More specific objects are to provide a device of this char acter which may be readily adjusted to oper ate upon work units of (hfierent sizes and. to

provide for facility of operation and simplieity of construction in such a device.

Of the accompanying drawings: I v Fig. 1 is 'a plan view-of parts of ama chine embodying and adapted to carry out my invention in its preferred form Fig. 1 is a continuation of Fig. 1 show ing other parts of the machine.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3-45 of Fig. 1 Fig. at is side elevation of parts of the machine shown in in Fig. 1 I

Fig. 5 is a section on line 55 of Fig. 4. Referring to the drawings, the machine, except the parts thereof hereinafter mentioned are the same as in the above-identi- Fig. 1 and parts shown convenient handling' Another. object is to provide improved procedure for fied' application Ser. N o. 733',931 ,'and as they may be variously modifie'din' view of, the I above-identified patents without departure from the scope of my inventionthey will be described herein with only such particu larity asfwill be essential to the COlllPlOtU understanding of my invention. The machine comprises a pair of cutterrolls, of which the upper one'is-shown at 10, Fig. 1 adapted to] draw forward a strip of adhesive tab-formingv material 11 and almost but not completely to sever the same into successive tab lengthsliZ '12, the lower roll constitutinga platen roll'and the upper roll constituting a die roll, having a V-shaped diel3i-'(Fig.'1") mount-ed upon its surface. A pair of driven, knurled, spaced. apart feedrollsrll: 15 may be. provided for feeding the strip 11 forward :to the cutter rolls 111 consequence offrictional contact with the "strip 'resulting from: the pull. of the cutter rolls upon the'strip, and a folder '16 may be provided for pleating the 'strip asitpassesto' the cutter rolls. A turret 17 in-the form of a disk having on one 10f its side faces three c1rcumferentially spacedapart buckle-holding lugs .18, 18 has its 7 shaft, 19 journaled in an upwardly-extending arm 20 pivoted on thebase of the machinein such position .as to hol'dthe' turret in a slightly oblique position with relation to the line of feed of the approachingtab lengths 12; as will be seen clearly inFig. 1, means being providedfor driving the turret in successive movements'of one-third of a revolution each, in time with the feeding of the tab lengths,- so as to stop one after another of the buckle-holding lugs in position for the tab-receiving I eye of a buckle held tl'iereby. to be threaded by one ofthe successive tab lengths 12 Means ineluding a ratchet dlsk 21 secured upon the shaft 19 of the turret and cam arms 21,2l"

may be provided for preventing over-rum ning of the turret.

The pivoted arm 20 is connected by apull spring 22 with a stationary part ofthe machine Fig. 1 to hold the turret with its peripheral face in yielding engagement with a roller 23gadapted to support the tab lengths as the latter pass from the cutter rolls to the turretythe said roller 23 being positioned obliquely in the machine, parallel with the axis of theturret, in order that each tab, in being drawn downward cam,

between the roll 23 and a presser roll 25, by the pull of a buckle member 24; carried by the turret and through which the tab length is threaded, will be folded on an oblique line of fold such asto produce a fan-shaped anchor tab, as will be clear upon reference to Fig. 1 the tab-folding presser roll '25 being mounted upon the upper end of a pivoted arm 26 and adapted to coact with the roll 23, in the folding and pressing operation, under the force of a pull spring 27 connecting the arm 26 with a stationary part of the machine.

A guiding device 26 provided. for accurately directing the tab lengths into the successive buckle 1ncmbers,the speed of the turret being such as to withdraw each sues cessive tab length rapidly downward and thus to complete the separation of the tab length from the continuous strip 11, and to bring the next buckle member 2:" into threading position before the leadingend of the next tab length has arrived thereat, eventhough the cutterrolls be continuously driven.

The folding and pressing roller 25 projects laterally from the end of its carrying arm 26 and is adapted to run upon the radially inner face of each of the successive buckle-holding lues 18 and to be forced away from the roller 23, bythe said face of the lug, so as to permit the passage of the lug and the contained buckle member be-' tween the two rollers, and then come into coaction with the roller 23 to fold and press the tab length.

Each of. the buckle-holding lugs 18 is formed with an outwardly-facing recess such as the recess 29, Fig. adapted to receive and seat a buckle member such as the buckle member 24-, for tab-receiving eye of the buckle projecting from the endof the lug, as shown clearly in Fig. 5, and a cam actuated latch 30' is pivoted in each recess and adaptedto close upon an inserted hucklejat the upper part of the turrets orbit and to be swung outward to release the buckle and tab assembly at a low part of the turrets orbit.

Each of the latches 3 0'is secured upon a pivot pin which continues beyond the rear face of the tru'ret and has secured thereon a latch-:urtuating arm 31 adapted to run upon and to be actuated by a suitable cam, the

i latch being provided with a hinge spring 32, Fig. 1 urging it' toward its inward or buckle-clamping position.

In order that each buckle assembly may be released from the turret while the latter is stationary, to avoid erratic delivery of the successive assemblies, the latch-actuating .33, rotatably mounted upon a bearing surface formed upon' the bearing; portion of the arm 20 concentric with the shaft 19 of the turret and is provided with means lengths.

Kample, with the,

drawing them. from the vicinit there shown in" dotted lines, after the adacent buckle-holding lug 18 has arrived and stopped in the position in which it is there shown, the said means being adapted then to rotatethe cam 83 in the opposite direction, clockwise, while the adjacent lug 18 and latch 30. are stepped forward in the same direction, the cam holding the latch open during this vmovement and then stop-' ping with its decline 33 in position to permit, the closing; of the latchupon an inserted buckle during the movement of the lug; front the lmckle-recciving po tion of the uppermost lug 18 Fig. 0 to the threading position oft-he lugat the right hand side of the turret in F V For so oscillating the cam 33 the hub thereof has secured thereon an arm 34g which is connected with the base of the urge the cam toward its most advanced clockwise position as viewed'in Fig-. 5, which is the position there shown in dot and-dash lines. The saidarm is eon 'ieitec by a link 36 with the adjacent end of lever 87 which is fulcrumed 38 the frame of the machine and extends l itsfulcrum to coact with a cam 39 sec v upon a shaft 4:0' which is operatively con; nectcd with the drive of the/[cutter ro ls 10 by a gear 41, the cam 39 being; so f0 to oscillate the cam 33 in u A stepping forward ofthe turret 17 and with the forward movement of the successive tabv For receiving the successive buckle semblies from the turret l7.in the over lapped relation shown in Fig. 1: and withof the turret as the chain ofbuckle assemhliesiu creases in length, an endless belt 4% ,prefr erably prov ed with a -cemeut;co.ated or other adhesive workreceivim, surface, is mounted upon end rolls 4.3, 4,4; which are secured upon respective shafts 45, 4H3 journaled in an elongated bracket 41-7 projecting laterally from'the machine frame. A presser 48 is provided for pressing each tab assembly in its overlapped relation upon the preceding assembly, against the backing afforded by the belt 42, at a position where the latter is supported by the end roll l3, to stick the succe eve tabs to gether and to the belt, so that the belt will withdraw the chain of buckle assemblies,

lit!

of the next buckle assembly inoverlapped relation. to the preceding one.

The two end rolls 43, H are. preferably mounted in guide-ways formed in. a crank disk '55 which is secured upon a shaft 56.

The said shaft 56 is provided with ahelical gear 57 meshed with a helical gear 58 secured upon the above-mentioned shaft 40. F or adjusting the slide 54in its guide-ways to vary the stroke of thepitman 53 and thusto vary the length of the intermittent movements of the carrier belt 42 for work units of different sizes, the said slide 54 has threaded t-hereinto an adjustment screw 59 which is .swiveled in the end wall'of the guide-way recess of the crank-disk 55 and is provided at the outer periphery of the latter with a knurled head 60.'

F or driving the carrier belt 42 by hand onoccasion a. hand crank 61 is secured upon the shaft of the end roll 43 of the belt, and for lifting the pawl 51 to permit rearward driving of the belt by hand the hinge pin 62 of the pawl has secured thereon a finger 63 adapted to he engaged by a pawl-lifter 64 which is secured upon a rock-shaft 65 journaled in an axial bore formed in the shaft 46 of the end roll 44, and the'rockshaft 65 is provided atit-s opposite end with a knurled head 66, the said knurled head thus being located at a position convenient to the operator. V a

For separating the chain of buckle assemblies from the adhesive belt 42 at a suitable distance from the turret, a flanged roller 67 is mountedupon the bracket47 under the upper reach of the carrier belt, w th its 7 flanges 67 67 extending upward above the upper surface of the belt in position to lift the assemblies therefrom as the belt passes over the waist portion of the roller, and to hold the belt down upon the said waist portion, against the lifting force of the said flanges against the work, a guide roller 68' is journaled upon the bracket 47 in position to hold the belt downward at. the delivery side of the roller 67 and a belt tightener 69 is provided for maintaininga suitable tension in the belt. I

For slidably supporting the buckle m emhers 24 as the assemblies are drawn forward by the belt a smooth-surfaced plate 70 is secured upon the bracket 47 on the near side of the belt and for similarly supporting the projecting tab ends at the other side of the belt a smooth-surfaced plate 71, formed with slots 72, 72, is'adjustably secured upon the bracket 47 by set screws 73,74 mounted in head for conveniently securing the plate 71 in adjusted positions For moving the said plate 71 to different positions of adjust 'ment, a hand lever 76 is fulcrumed at 77 upon the bracket 47 and is provided with a stud 78'pro'jecting laterally into a slot 79 formed in a. flange 80 upstanding from the plate 71. Secured upon'the end portion of the plate 71 adjacent the turret isa guide member 81, Figs. '4 and 5, which is of rightangle formin plan view and is formed'with rounded inner faces adapted to guide the tab ends of the buckle assemblies into proper position with respectto the belt 42 by en-v gagement with the tab end of the assembly,

' as the successive assemblies are released from the turret 17 and fall onto the belt'42 and plates 70, 71, the gauge 81 being adapted to be set inposition for tabs, of different widths'hy adjustment of the plate 71.

The presser 48 is mounted upon the end of an arm 82 which is adjustably secured by a set screw 83 in a bracket 84 mounted upon a shaft 85 which is provided with a rocker arm 86 having at-its outer end a cam roller 87 adapted to be engaged by a cam disk 88 mounted upon the shaft 56, the said cam disk 88 being so formed as to hold the'presser foot 48 elevated, as shown in dot-and-dash llIlGS; in Fig; 4, out of the way of the buckleholding lugs 18 of the turret, during the saidslots and screwed in the bracket, the I set screw 73 being provided with a knurled passage of each buckle-holding lug over the carrier belt 42, and then, after the lug has stopped and delivered its buckle assembly, to permit the presser foot to be drawn downward upon the deposited tab, to press the same, by a pull spring 89connecting with the base of the machine a rocker pin 90 projecting from the shaft 85; v o

Thepresser 48 preferably consists of a roller"91journaled in a yoke 92 which is pivoted upon the end of the arm 82 and is urged toward a stop 93, secui-ed upon the said arm, by a hingeispring '94, the stop being adapted to hold the yoke 92 in such an inclined position that descentof the arm 82 after the roller has contacted the work will cause the roller to run upon thework, the yoke 92 being turned about/the arm 82,

againstthe force of its hinge spring, by the force of the roller against thework, and the yoke 92 then springing back against the stop 93 when'the arm 82 is again lifted "The arm 82 is preferably formed with an offset 82 so that the pressure ofthe presser 48 upon the work may be varied by securing the arm 82 in different angular positions in the bracket 84 by means of the set screw 83.

In the operation of the machine of the preferred type here shown, the cutter rolls 10 and associataed gearing being constantly driven, the adhesive tab-forming strip 11 is continuously drawn through and pleated by Lil Lnu

the folder l6 and at suitable intervals is almost completely severed by the said cutter rolls, from which the partially-severed strip is pushed forward by the said rolls through the guiding device 28. As the leading end of each tab length approaches the turret 17 thelatter is stepped forward by intermittent rotation of its shaft 19 to bring one of the buckle-holding lugs 18 to threading position in which it remains until the tab length passes through the eye of the buckle member 24 carried in the lug. In the next forward movement of the turret the buckle member is withdrawn downward and the roller .25, under the force of the spring 27, coaets with the roll 23 to fold the tab length upon itself in interlinked relation with. the buckle member, the motion ofthe turret being suiliciently rapid to pull. the tab length loose from the strip 11 and to bring the next buckle-holding lug to threading position before the leading end of the last tab length arrives thereat. At the end of this movement the lug carrying the buckle assembly is in the position of the lug at the lower left of Fig. 5 and immediately after it stops in that position the cam moves counterclockwise to the position shown in dotted lines to cause the rise 33". of. the cam to throw outward the latch Ell) and thus to release the buckle assembly and permit it to fall onto the plates and 71 and the carrier belt 42, the guide 81 properly positioning the tab end of the assembly, and the presser 48 at this time being held elevated, by the mechanism above-described, out of the way of the lug 18. The presser 48 is then quickly lowered by the said mechanism to press the tab assembly in place upon the preceding assembly and upon the belt 42 am then lifted out of the way of the next lug 18 before the next indexing of the turret. The next movement of the turret carries the lug 18 referred tote the position of the lug at the top of thetiu-rct in Fig 5. where it stops with the latch 30 still h'ld open by the cam' 33, the said cam moving clockwise as viewed in Fig. 5 during this interval so that the rise 33 of the cam will be in the dotand-dash line position to permit the next lug 18 to stop in. delivering position with its latch 30 still in latching position. lVhile the lug is stopped in the said up )ermo:-;t position the operator inserts one of the buckle members 24; in the recess of the lug and in the next indexing movement of the turret the decline 33" of the cam 33permits the latch 30 to be closed upon the buckle. member by its hinge spring 32, to clamp the buckle member in place in the lug, to be carried to threading position.

Just after the presser 48 rises after each pressing operation the carrier belt 42 is stepped forward. by mechanismabove-described .so that the last delivered buckle assembly thereon in position to receive the next assembly in slightly overlapped relation, the obliquely-folded tab lengths of suc ce. other as shown clearly in Fig. i so. that only the thin margins of the fan-shapcd tabs overlie each other and the tabs form substantially a continuous sheet of equal thick.- .ness throughout. r

As the chain of tabs passes. over the sop.- arating roller (37 the flanges 6? of the latter temporarily lift the chain of assemblies from the adhesive belt 42 breaking1the ad hcsion, so that beyond the said separating roller the chainrof tab lengths may readily be pulled apart at any desired, position for removal of successive lengths of the chain for transportation and use.

Various modifications are possible within the scopeof; my invention as defined in the appended claims,

I claim:

1. Apparatus of the character described comprising means for associating-articles with adhesive tabs and presenting them. in succession in a determinate position and conve 'ing means for so moving the successive a1 icles as to cause their tabs to overlap each other in a chain of units.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1. in which the conveying means is provided with an adhesive surface for the reception of the articles. i

3. Apparatus of, the character described comprising means for threading successive apertured articles with respective units of tab-forming inaterial, means for folding each tab-forming unit upon itself to provide a tab interlinked with the article, and means for receiving the successive assemblies from the aforesaid means and joining their tabs together in a chain of assemblies. 4-. Apparatus asv defined in claim 3 which the joining means comprises a presser nmunted for movement from and toward the work to press each tab against the next.

Apparatus of the character described comprising a member adapted to carry sue eessive articles to a determinate position, means for there associating a tab-forming unit of material in interlinked relation with the article, the said carrying means being adapted to deliver the resulting assembly at another determinate position, and means for so moving each assembly from the last said position as to cause the tab of each assembly to be overlapped by the tab of the following assembly.

6. Apparatus of the character. described comprising a turret member, means for clamping an article thereon, means for intermittently driving the said member and stopping it with the said clamping means in an article-releasing position, and an oscillating cam journaled coa-Xially with the turret ive assemblies interlitting with each member and timed with the intermittent driving means for causing the said clamping means to release an article held thereby while it is stopped in the article-releasing position. j

7. Apparatus of the character described comprising an orbital member, means for clamping an article thereon, means for intermittently driving said member and stopping it with the said clamping meansin an article-releasing position, means timed with the intermittent driving means for causing the said clamping means to release an article held thereby while it is stopped in the articlereleasing position, and conveying means adapted so to convey from the article-releasing position successive articles released by the clamping means as to cause parts of the articles to overlap each other in a chain.

8. Apparatus of the character described comprising an orbital member, a plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart article-carrying members thereon, conveying means adjacent the said orbital member for receiving respective articles from the successive article-carrying members and for so moving the received articles as to cause each article to be received in overlapped relation upon the preceding article, and a presser member mounted for movement into the space b tween successive article-carrying members to press the overlapped articles together against the conveying means and for reverse movement to avoid engagement with the article-carrying members in the movement of the latter.

9. Apparatus of the character described comprising an adhesive carrier member, means for depositing successive articles thereon, and means for pressing each article against the said carrier member. r

10. Apparatus as defined in claim 9 including means at one side of the carrier member for slidably supportingparts of the articles extending thereonto.

11. Apparatus of the character described comprising a conveyor belt, means for depositing successive articles thereon in overlapped relation in a continuous chain, and a presser member mounted for suchmovement from and toward the belt as to press each article against the preceding article and then to retract therefrom.

12. Apparatus of the character described comprising an adhesive conveyor belt and means adapted to engage articles on the belt only'in portions projecting laterally beyond the belt for breaking the adhesion between the belt and the articles.

13. Apparatus as defined in claim 12 in.

which the adhesion-breaking means comprises a roller formed with a peripheral part adapted to lift the articles from the belt.

7 14. Apparatus of the character described comprising a carrier belt, means for depositing successive articles'thereon in overlapped relation in a continuous chain, a roller, and means for causing the roller to run transversely of theb'elt to press together the overlapped portions of the articles.

15. Apparatus of the character described comprising a carrier, means for depositing successive articles thereon in overlapped relation in a continuous chain, a roller, and means adapted to cause the roller to run upon the overlapped portions of the articles as a result of pressure of the roller against the articles. I

16. Apparatus as defined in claim 15 including a pivoted member upon which the roller is journaled, a mounting for said pivotal member adapted to be moved toward and from the Work, means for urging the said pivotal member about its pivot, and a stop adapted to hold the said pivota1"me1nher in a position such that the roller will be caused to run upon the work, against the force of said yielding means, by pressure of the roller against the Work. I w

17. The method of manipulating fastenersand tabs therefor which comprises moving a succession of apertured fasteners in. a determinate course and depositing them successively in a determinate position, inserting tab-forming lengths of material in the apertures of the respective fasteners at a determinatefpart of the said course and folding and conveying the resulting assemblies from the aforesaid position in such time relation to the depositing of assemblies thereat as to cause each assembly to overlap the preceding one, in a chain of assemblies'as it is deposited in the said position. f

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 27th day of September, 1926.

vinel'nii onus.

each tab length upon itself to form. a tab, 

